OBJECTIVES: 1. To develop a quantitative pharmakokinetic model for precise determination of dosage requirements of neuromuscular blocking agents in the operating room. 2. To use fluctuation analysis to study the mechanisms of action of anesthetic agents. 3. To examine the relationship of potency of barbiturates to their solubility properties. 4. To examine the influence of ionic milieu on potency of competitive neuromuscular blocking agents.